Happiness?
by kuraragi
Summary: "Will we ever find anyone but ourselves who will accept us?" Rated M for profanity and possible triggers. Multiple pairings. Sub-groups. Debating whether to include A-Rise or Sunshine.


**Hello! New story! I am trying to get back into the** _**Love Live!**_ **series because I have not been able to get any sort of inspiration from it and I have been having writer's block on** _**I Hope She Treats You Well.**_ **Other than trying to complete** _ **I Hope**_ **, I have started writing one-shots to try and rekindle my bond with the girls. I may or may not also write stuff for** _ **Sunshine**_ **, but I'm still a bit iffy on that.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy. If you have any questions or concerns, review or pm me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own** _ **Love Live!**_

* * *

 **Introduction**

It was but another day for her at Sakura Hall. She had awoken in her dorm room, listening to the muffled snores of her childhood friend on the bed beside her, as her friend lay sprawled under the pile of blankets. On the other bed was her kouhai who was snuggled under her own blankets, mumbling about something in her sleep. She smiled to herself before slowly lifting herself to the cold chill of the morning. She slipped on her white, fluffy slippers before reaching for her, equally, fluffy robe, curling on herself a bit to allow the green cloth to protect her from the light breeze that invaded the room.

She groaned softly before padding over to the kitchen, hugging herself a bit as she warmed up a cup of milk for herself. She leaned against the counter, listening to the buzz of the microwave that pierced the morning silence. An obnoxious beep sounded, notifying her that she may remove her cup from the machine. She gently took the warm porcelain from the glass tray, sighing contently as she felt the heat radiate through her hands to the rest of her body, dissipating her shivers. She caught a glimpse of her friend turning in her sleep as she passed through the main room, looking through one of the doorways that set up the boundaries in their dorm.

"Hehe," she giggled lightly, "looks like Honoka-chan will be waking up soon. With a smile, she continued towards her destination, following the path she took almost daily as the sun began to rise from behind the peaks of those faraway mountains.

Sliding open the glass door, she unconsciously stiffened for a moment as an early breeze swept around her. She took a quick sip of her warm milk to push the chills away, sitting herself on one of the white chairs that stood on the balcony. She crossed her right leg over her left and settled into the familiar wood that was weaved so firmly and wonderfully together, allowing her to keep such a set of furniture for the past decade.

Another breeze sailed up through railing, but her body had already grown accustomed to the sweeping winds of the opening day. She treated her senses to yet another scenic morning, as she scanned the city below her for the differences of today's and yesterday's morning. Nothing was ever the same, she noticed, as she sat in that white chair on her balcony, holding a warm mug of milk, and wrapped in her thick, green robe. There was always one thing that was different, and she strived to find that one difference, then challenged her aspiring mind to find more.

She looked at the different clothes that were hung from neighboring building's balconies, and looked to see if there were more or less cars than yesterday. She looked to see if there was anyone walking to work, or, possibly, children running to school; it was quite early, so she never expected to see children. She loved listening to the bustle of the morning, as she loved the city. The whirring of planes overhead, the honking of cars from below, the arguments of young couples out on the streets, or the yelling of an upset boss over the phone. It was all part of the package when one chose to live in the city, and she didn't mind it one bit.

Although, when she was having a stressful day, or simply wanted a bit of peace, she always looked above and beyond the high rises and bustling of people.

The mountains in the distance did not change too much, but every few months, you would see snow, and as the months went by, the snow would slowly disappear from its peaks.

The air always smelled a bit of smoke as quite a lot of people nowadays smoked or they wouldn't get their car exhausts checked, or because of the manufacturing factories that were not too far away. But then there were the pale pink sakura petals that flew freely within the air, being guided by the wild wind.

In the rainy season, the sky was a dull gray and was filled with dark clouds that hung above the city, waiting for the right moment to pour down on you with the water built up inside them. But otherwise, the sky was a clear, light blue that was sometimes empty of white, sometimes had little strips of white spread out through the sky's expanse, or sometimes had big and little puffs of white that sailed across the blue screen behind it.

Of course, the morning greetings were always different too.

"Mou, Kotori-chan!" a voice brought her attention back to the inside of the dorm. "It's too cold in the morning! Close the sliding door~!" Honoka whined from inside, comically shaking in her tank top and shorts. Kotori laughed to herself before walking back into their dorm, sliding the door closed in the process. She set her empty mug down on the nearby coffee table before shedding her robe and wrapping it snugly around her friend's shivering form.

"I thought I told you it'll be cold now. Stop wearing such short clothes to sleep." Kotori lightly reprimanded, but she couldn't stop the humorous smile that appeared on her face. Although, Honoka didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, but..." Honoka began ranting about how she can sleep more easily since her long sleeved shirts and long pants always get her tangled under the blankets. Kotori, once again, couldn't help but smile. She began guiding Honoka into the kitchen, going to get her a cup of milk as well. As she did though, she couldn't help but look out the sliding glass door, smiling wider at the rising sun.

The sunrise...the sunrise was always different as well. Sometimes the sky would be a bright orange and yellow, and sometimes it would be orange, yellow, and even pink, or sometimes the sun would rise from behind a big, puffy cloud, causing the rays to seep through the white puff. It was something Kotori was always ecstatic to see - something she never forgot.

* * *

I had just finished warming up Honoka-chan's cup of milk and she was now happily sipping it. She had found a comfortable spot on top of the counter and was swinging her legs back and forth while she hummed softly. I guess she was no longer cold. I began preparing breakfast when...

"Oh, Kotori-chan, Honoka-chan." I turned to see my other roommate, up and awake, walking over into the kitchen.

"Aha, morning, Hanayo-chan!" Honoka-chan exclaimed at the younger girl.

"Good morning, Honoka-chan. And you, Kotori-chan." she nodded to me as well.

"Good morning to you, Hanayo-chan. Do you want a cup of milk too?" I asked while putting some bread into the toaster.

"Hm, no thank you. I think I'm getting a blister. Do we have orange juice?" she asked while rubbing her lower lip a bit, trying to see if there was a little pain from inflammation.

"See, you have to stay hydrated, Hanayo-chan." I reminded her while checking the refrigerator. I grabbed the carton of orange juice as well as three eggs. I handed her the carton while I went over to the stove and cracked the eggs for some over-easy.

"I know, but I left my water bottle in one of my previous classes yesterday and didn't have water for one period. I didn't think it'd affect me too much." she explained before quickly drinking from her glass.

"Just be careful. It could be worse than a few blisters if you don't stay hydrated." I said before retrieving the toast and eggs, and putting them on three plates.

"I know. Oh, thank you." she said after I handed her one of the plates. She moved to the coffee table, followed by Honoka-chan and I.

We sat there, eating, while Hanayo-chan and I tried to convince Honoka-chan to wear long sleeved shirts and long pants to sleep when there was a buzz from the door. I walked over and pressed the transmitter, before speaking.

"Who is it?" I asked, releasing the button.

"It's me, Kotori." I was a bit concerned since my mom never came to my room personally unless it was important. I opened it, only to see her as well as our neighbors.

"Okaa-chan, what's wrong?"

"It would be better if we spoke inside." she said quietly. I moved to the side to let them all in before we all gathered around our coffee table.

"So, what happened, Minami-sensei?" Eli-chan asked, getting right down to business, as usual.

Okaa-chan had a manila folder on her lap and set it on the table, opening it to reveal three packets of paper for three different people. She only removed three pieces of paper and laid them in front of us to see, so I took the one closest to me and examined it with Honoka-chan. Hanayo-chan and Nico-chan looked at one, and Eli-chan and Maki-chan looked at the other.

They were pictures, and the one I had was for a cobalt haired girl with amber eyes, similar to my own, but a slightly darker shade. From what I could see, she had smooth, white skin that looked pale; unhealthily pale. Her eyes, although resembling mine, had a dangerous glint in them, while being dull in color. If I had to choose a word to describe her, it was scary.

"So, what do these people have to do with anything?" Maki-chan asked.

"They are coming to the Academy today, and I would like your assistance in picking them up with me." Okaa-chan stated.

"Where would we be going?" Nico-chan asked.

"Nowhere. They will be...delivered, to the Academy." delivered? that seemed rather harsh since these girls, I assumed, were all people.

"Alright, then when?" Nico-chan asked further.

"Right now." Okaa-chan said, surprising us all a bit. "Kotori, Honoka, Hanayo, go get changed. Eli, Maki, Nico, you are welcome to wait here with them. I'll be waiting for you all at the front gates." and with that, okaa-chan gathered the papers, slipped them into the manila folder and walked out of the room as quickly as she walked in.

"Alright, well, Honoka-chan, Hanayo-chan, and I will go get changed." I said generally.

"Okay." Eli-chan acknowledged. I took that as a sign to go, so the three of us left to our bedroom to change.

* * *

"So, what do you think is with these people?" Maki asked.

"Beats me." Nico said bluntly. "They just better not cause trouble." she said before flopping back into the couch.

I thought back on that girl in the picture. Purple hair, emerald eyes, and a pale complexion. And her eyes were such a bright color, yet they looked dull and...almost afraid. Something about the way she looked made me want to protect her. She reminded me of someone who was weak and vulnerable, and I couldn't stand it if she really was and no one was there for her.

I sighed before flopping into the couch myself. Maki looked like she has already fallen asleep, and Nico was massaging her arms a bit while stretching her legs from her seated position. I could understand since training has been a bit harsh recently. Maki has been using up more energy and getting less sleep and Nico always has to be on her toes, lest she get hurt.

As for myself, my head feels like it has its own heartbeat. I guess trying to control so much at a time really took a toll on my brain. It hurts to look at something too bright and I feel dizzy if I sit or stand up too fast. I groaned before slowly getting up to get a glass of water from Kotori's kitchen.

* * *

"Kotori-chan, why do you think your mom wants us to pick up those people with her. We get new people all the time but they just walk in and meet her and her office." Honoka-chan asked while slipping her arms through her white, long sleeved shirt and buttoning it up.

"I'm not sure..." Kotori-chan replied while looking deep in thought.

I was putting on my blazer as I thought about the girl in the picture Nico-chan and I looked at. Bright orange hair, and a chartreuse eye. Her other eye, I couldn't tell since it was under an eyepatch. But from her one eye, I saw fear and strangely, determination. She looked around our age, and someone our age shouldn't have to be so deathly afraid of anything. I say that, but I know that the six of us in this dorm room have gone through enough ourselves.

"Okay, I'm done." I said, walking towards the door. Honoka-chan and Kotori-chan both nodded their heads, tying their hairs up into their signature ponytails while walking towards me.

* * *

It took a while to go down the elevator; we were on the 31st floor, after all. I glanced around and saw Maki-chan with her eyes closed, leaning against the side. Nico-chan was massaging her arms while bringing her knees to her chest one at a time. Eli-chan had her eyes closed, face towards her feet, and was rubbing the sides of her temple. I guess they've been a bit exhausted and stressed lately with all the training this week.

Honoka-chan was also massaging her arms a bit while Hanayo-chan kept taking off her glasses to rub to her eyes. I have noticed that I've been yawning a lot more and am more prone to sleeping in class than usual.

When the elevator dinged, Maki-chan sprung awake, stretching slightly before following us out of the elevator.

"Whoa." was all Honoka-chan had to say to grab our attention to the front gate of the Academy. I gasped a bit before frantically looking around.

Today was definitely more different than yesterday.

The sky was filled with black helicopters, and I could see that the men in the helicopters all had some sort of gun in their hands. On the ground were countless men, all armored in black and armed with the same guns as the men in the helicopters. There were also many armored trucks just outside the gate with another bunch of mean dressed in black suits, all holding at least one handgun.

Then I saw one particular truck that had its trunk towards the gates and about a dozen armored men standing by the door with their guns at the ready. It was frightening, really. If there were _this_ many men here, whatever is in that truck must be dangerous. Why would okaa-chan allow such danger in our school?

We made our way towards okaa-chan when a man came over and stopped us.

"You are prohibited from going any further." his voice was rough a rather deep. I felt a hand grip the back of my blazer and a body move closer to me.

"I believe you are mistaken, sir." Eli-chan tried to be polite and civil. "You see, we have been given permission by-" she was cut off as he moved his body towards her, causing her to back up a bit in surprise.

"I did not receive any notice of _children_ coming any close to the _specimens_." he said in disgust.

I saw Nico-chan move forward and shove the man back. "Hey! We've been allowed through, so fucking let us through, we don't you!" she was stressed, I could tell. Nico-chan never had the best temper, and since she was also exhausted, it kind of made it worse.

She was about to move around him when the man blocked her path, moved her back and pointed his gun at her. I heard a number of gasps and shrieks from behind. Most likely from other students who had been drawn to the commotion.

"What the fuck are you going to do with that?! Shoot me?! Go ahead, bitch! I'll fucking blow your head off and use your body as a fucking punching bag before you can pull that fucking trigger!" she challenged, something Nico-chan was quite notorious for.

"N-Nico-chan..." Honoka-chan tried to calm her down. Eli-chan was burning holes through the man's mask, silently daring him to shoot, and Maki-chan simply watched the exchange from her spot off to the side.

"Move back before I really do shoot." he said deeply. Surprisingly he wasn't fazed by Eli-chan's glare. I didn't think anyone but okaa-chan could withstand it.

"Go ahead." Nico-chan walked closer so the muzzle was positioned right between her eyes. "Go ahead and fucking shoot, you bastard." she said lowly. I saw the man was ready to actually shoot when a hand landed on his shoulder. He jumped a bit and quickly targeted that other person, who happened to be okaa-chan.

"Excuse me, but what happens to be the problem?" okaa-chan asked in a kind of feigned innocence that sent shivers down my spine.

"I apologize for the commotion, Minami-san, but these students have claimed they have permission to see the _specimens_." okaa-san flinched a bit at that before she recovered.

"Actually, I have given them permission to assist me in escorting the _girls_ into the Academy." she said, smiling, although I could see that she wanted to, at least, hit the man.

"O-Oh, I apologize. I did not know." he bowed his head a bit while moving to the side. Nico-chan and Eli-chan continued to glare at the man as we passed him, and I saw that okaa-chan was more relaxed.

Then there was a man who was rather tall with brown hair and piercing brown eyes. He had a smirk on his face and it only grew wider as we approached.

"Why, hello, young ladies. My name is Takeshi Hiro." he held his hand out, but okaa-chan turned his attention elsewhere.

"So, shall the girls be allowed to leave that trunk?" okaa-chan tried moving the conversation along.

"Oh, why yes." he did some signal and the men all turned towards the truck, all their guns pointing at the, still closed, vehicle. Two men in suits came and began unlocking the truck. There were multiple locks on it, and it just made me wonder why.

As it opened, some dozen men went over and reached into the trunk and roughing yanked out three people and a wheelchair. And then I saw them: the cobalt haired girl, a purple haired girl, and a girl, I think, with short orange hair. The cobalt haired girl had a heavy-looking metal collar around her neck with two men escorting her as she allowed them to shove her along. The purple haired girl had two men holding her up by her arms while her legs were being dragged across the floor, one man was dragging the wheelchair as it screeched along the ground, and the remaining six or so men were holding and gripping the orange haired girl, I think, who was in a straight jacket. She wasn't as compliant and she kept jerking around, trying to break free. And with her constant movement, I saw that there was an eyepatch covering her right eye.

As they approached, I saw the man with the wheelchair take it in both hands before throwing it on the ground in front of us before turning back and walking away. The orange haired girl seemed to growl a bit. I looked back to the truck and saw a few bags and boxes get tossed out and left on the ground. I then turned my attention to the cobalt haired girl who was having a some serum injected into her. She whimpered a bit as the men began shoving her forward again.

When they got close enough, the men holding the purple haired girl unceremoniously threw her on her floor. Her legs seemed to collapse from under her and she fell with a thud and a gasp, and laid unmoving on the ground.

"Nozo-AGH!" my head snapped towards the cobalt haired girl who was trying desperately to clutch at her stomach, but was refused that right.

"Are you allowed to speak?" the Takeshi guy asked in a dark tone. He grabbed her chin roughly so she would look at him. "Are you?"

"N-No..." she whimpered before crying out again as another man kicked her side.

"Umi-chan!" the orange haired girl cried out.

"Shut up her!" Takeshi yelled before the men holding the orange haired girl dropped her on the ground and began stepping on her and kicking at her. She let out grunts and an occasional gasp as she was relentlessly assaulted.

"O-Oi!" Maki-chan started before okaa-chan laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her. Maki-chan looked unsure for once, and Nico-chan and Eli-chan looked on in disbelief. I could feel my blazer get curled up again and a hand grip my own.

I turned back to the cobalt haired girl to see her hissing in pain. I had to guess that she got hit again. Takeshi grabbed her face with two hands and asked again. "Are you allowed to speak?" to which she shook her head. He smirked before letting go and removing the collar from her neck. He turned towards okaa-chan, and that was when she was also thrown to the floor. She grunted again before curling in on herself to clutch at her abused abdomen. Her whimpers were audible, even if she directed them towards the floor.

"Well, I apologize for this display of discipline." I'm sorry, _discipline_? "But I assure you, you'll be fine. The little one is stronger than she looks." he gestured towards the orange haired girl who was now left unmoving on the ground, similar to the purple haired girl. "This one can't walk so don't worry. It's not like she'll run away. Oh, and _this_ is her's." he pointed towards the purple haired girl before using his foot to kick the wheelchair a bit. "And _this_ ," he moved to the cobalt haired girl before dragging her to her feet by her hair. She whimpered again as she stumbled to try and follow him. He then dumped her on the floor beside the purple haired girl. "is my prized specimen. What a beauty _it_ is." he then brought his foot back and kicked her in the stomach again. She cried out and clutched at her abdomen while coughing.

He chuckled before reaching into his suit. "Oh, and these will be helpful with that one." he gestured towards the cobalt haired girl. They appeared to be little containers of some light blue liquid, possibly what the cobalt haired girl had injected into her neck a little while ago.

"What are they?" okaa-chan asked suspiciously.

"Oh, just some pain enhancers. Really useful if you want to torture this one." I could hear pretty much everyone gasp at that. Torture? "Or even to discipline her. Inject this into her and then kick her, whip her, stab her, or whatever you want to do to her and then leave her in a dark place for a few weeks. Best way to get her to listen to you." he almost boasted. "Although, the other two cannot take the serum very well. Their bodies aren't accustomed to it so it's a bit of a waste. For them, it isn't needed."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be necessary." okaa-chan said, still smiling.

"Are you sure? Okay, your loss. Oh, and in the packets I gave you have methods of making the other two listen. The little one takes a bit more work, but it's definitely worth it. Once you take her down hard enough, she won't get back up again." he said while tucking the little serum containers back into his suit, chuckling as if recalling fond memories.

"Okay." okaa-chan replied, glaring at the man, ever so slightly.

He sighed before scanning the three girls on the floor. "Well, my precious specimens, welcome to a new world. I hope you have fun with your new _master_." okaa-chan flinched a bit at the word, but did not drop her smile until that man was in one of the trucks and gone. As soon as the truck he was in disappeared, so was every other truck, helicopter, and man.

I could see the orange haired girl started moving again, trying to wiggle her way over to the other two while the cobalt haired girl was struggling to get up. The purple haired girl simply stayed unmoving on the floor. Was she hurt that badly? Or is it because she can't move her legs?

"H-Here, let me-" Eli-chan tried to help the cobalt haired girl, but her hand was slapped away.

"Do not touch me." she snarled, glaring at Eli-chan with her dull amber orbs. Eli-chan took a step back at that. I would have taken ten.

The girl then shifted over to the wheelchair and set it up before helping the purple haired girl into it. She said a few words before crouching down to get the orange haired girl out of the straight jacket. As soon as she was loose, she threw her arms around the cobalt haired girl and mumbled something into her neck. She then crawled into the purple haired girl's lap and buried her face into the juncture between her neck and shoulder. The cobalt haired girl rose to her feet and glared at us all before stopping at okaa-chan.

"Hello." okaa-chan slowly put her arm out for the girl, who only looked at the outstretched hand. "My name is Minami Noriko. I am the principal here. It is nice to finally meet you, Sonoda-san."

Sonoda-san hesitantly took okaa-chan's hand before quickly drawing it back. She moved back near the other two girls who were watching closely. The purple haired girl was watching every slight movement from all of us, analysing everything, while the orange haired girl looked ready to pounce at any given moment.

"I just want you to know that we mean no harm. I promise you that your life will be much more free than your previous." okaa-chan explained.

"Freedom I can believe, but no harm? I am not quite sure I can believe that." she had a smooth, deep voice that simply rolled out of her mouth in constant waves, which allured me a bit.

"And what makes you say that?" okaa-chan was honestly surprised.

"Because one of your students, I assume, seems ready to fight." she stated before moving to look at Nico-chan.

"Yazawa-san, stop it now." okaa-chan said quite firmly.

"Why? These people could be dangerous." Nico-chan stated, her hands sparking a bit.

"They are not dangerous."

"Really? If not," Nico-chan turned to look back as Sonoda-san. "Then tell me your fucking name."

"I am not obliged to do so." Sonoda-san shot back, seemingly unfazed by the growing streaks of electricity that appeared to increase in voltage as Nico-chan's temper rose.

"Tell me your goddamn name before I fry you to a crisp!" Nico-chan's powers started shooting lightning bolts left and right as she had finally lost it. Oh yeah, she was way more stressed than usual right now.

Although, I can imagine why. Especially since I heard about what happened to her before she came here.

"Hm," Sonoda-san mused. "You are quite easy to mess are you not, Yazawa-san?" she smirked confidently.

Nico-chan roared out in anger, and while doing so. Okaa-chan shouted something to Sonoda-san in some foreign tongue right before Nico-chan thrusted a hand forward, shooting a bolt of lightning right at Sonoda-san. She remained unmoved, and right before the bolt hit, a woman with a ginormous shield came out of nowhere and intercepted.

"Shielder!" the purple haired girl yelled out, and the woman stood up and began running towards Nico-chan, hitting her with her shield in the process.

"Nico!" Eli-chan, shocked at the sudden attack from the woman, materialized a spear of ice and threw it at Sonoda-san. But before it hit its mark, the ice melted into water, shifted into the shape of a spear and shot back at Eli-chan. She quickly dodged, not expecting the attack and grunted as she hit the ground and rolled over to keep her eyes peeled for another attack.

"Agh!" Nico-chan cried out as the woman from before rammed into Nico-chan with her shield, sending Nico-chan flying somewhere.

"Nico(-chan)!" both Eli-chan and Maki-chan yelled. They then nodded to one another, ready to attack. Eli-chan summoned hundreds of icicles and shot them at the three girls from above, while Maki-chan swiped her hand and a flurry of flames shot out towards the girls' waists.

Although, right after the attacks were released towards their targets, Eli-chan's icicles melted into water. The water then maneuvered in the air and created a wall to extinguish Maki-chan's flames. Eli-chan and Maki-chan were about to attack again when the water split into two streams and burst towards them. The two were then trapped in spheres of rushing white water, unable to stay stable enough to use their powers to freeze the water, or turn it in steam.

The two were quickly swallowed by the spheres of rapids, their bodies tossed around by the masses of water. I tried to go and help them, but okaa-chan held my wrist, wordlessly telling me to leave them be. I helplessly stood there and watched as Eli-chan and Maki-chan got battered around in the water, and Nico-chan repeatedly get her bolts nullified and then get knocked to the side somewhere by that giant shield.

"It's okay, Nozomi-chan." I heard the orange haired girls say to the purple haired girl who was half collapsed in the wheelchair, breathing really hard. The woman with the shield disappeared, seemingly at the orange haired girl's words. When Nico-chan noticed the woman was gone, she turned back to the three girls and began running to them, ready to attack again.

"Goddamn, you fucking little-" I felt a powerful force all of a sudden push against me. At that, Nico-chan's words were cut off.

"Rin, left!" Sonoda-san yelled towards Nico-chan's direction. I turned to look and saw the orange haired girl right in front of Nico-chan. Her movements faltered slightly before she threw her left leg at Nico-chan's stomach, sending her into the ground with a grunt. The orange haired girl then bounded back to the other two girls. When she was stood by their side again, the purple haired girl materialized a card in her hand.

"Rings!" she shouted, and the card's face projected a magic circle. I then saw those same magic circles appear on the ground where Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan were. As the water dispersed and the dust cleared, I saw white rings holding Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan in magic binds.

Okaa-chan said something to the girls in that foreign tongue again, to which Sonoda-san responded to with a nostalgic expression. The orange haired girl seemed to be keeping a close eye on Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan, but was also watching over the purple haired girl who, situated behind Sonoda-san, looked completely exhausted.

"Well, it seems that we have all calmed down now." okaa-chan said. The rings around Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan disappeared, as well as the purple haired girl's card. Okaa-chan said something again in that foreign language, to which the purple haired girl offered a grateful half smile.

Eli-chan and Maki-chan were still catching their breaths, breathing in the air they were just recently deprived of. Nico-chan, although I'm not exactly sure, is probably cursing and reprimanding herself.

"I can formally introduce you girls to those three later, but for now," okaa-chan gestured towards Honoka-chan, Hanayo-chan, and I. "These are Minami Kotori, Kousaka Honoka, and Koizumi Hanayo." I turned to the girls to find that the orange haired girl was still watching us suspiciously, the purple haired girl had a soft smile and was subtly waving 'hi', and Sonoda-san seemed to examine us one by one.

"H-Hello…" Honoka-chan offered sheepishly. She was still a bit rattled, but I think the fact that Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan didn't end up any worse than they currently are allowed her to open up herself to the possibility that these girls aren't too bad; my thought process was similar to that. Hanayo-chan was still more frightened by it all, and it was then that I realized she had been the one gripping my blazer this whole time. I saw the purple haired girl wheel herself forward a little bit, allowing her to tug on Sonoda-san's rags-for-clothes. Sonoda-san only sighed before she stepped a bit to the side, giving us a more clear view of the other two.

"Sonoda Umi, pleasure to meet you. This is Hoshizora Rin," she gestured towards the orange haired girl, whose face, now, showed a bit of interest in us. "And Toujou Nozomi." she then nodded to the girl in the wheelchair who was waving to us again, a little more openly this time, with a smile etched on her face.

"Now you six know one another." okaa-chan clapped her hands together happily. "Oh," she said, almost like she forgot. "That is Ayase Eli. Next to her is Nishikino Maki, and that one over there, is Yazawa Nico." there was an awkward silence that enveloped us. Eli-chan, Maki-chan, and Nico-chan were glaring at the three girls who seemed completely unfazed. Hoshizora-san was playing with one of the straps of her eyepatch, Toujou-san was waving back with a smile, greeting them with a 'hello', and Sonoda-san returned their glares with a bored expression.

"Well then, why don't we take you girls up to your dorm room. You can finally settle down after your hectic morning." Toujou-san materialized another card, but instead of saying a name, she just held it out in front of her. A red magic circle appeared on the card, as well as on the ground in front of her. From the circle on the ground, six Hellhounds materialized. Toujou-san simply pointed at the items that were left on the ground by the school entrance, and the six Hounds ran off to retrieve them, bringing back four duffel bags, two backpacks, and a few boxes.

"Arigato." Toujou-san said, before the Hounds and the card dematerialized on their own. Sonoda-san took an old, orange backpack and a duffel bag and handed them to Hoshizora-san, who slung them on her arms before taking her position behind Toujou-san; I guess she is designated to push her. Toujou-san offered to take the other backpack, while Sonoda-san carried the other three duffel bags. Honoka-chan shyly offered to help, but her offer was declined.

"Do you need help with those?" okaa-chan gestured to the few boxes that were also on the ground.

"Thank you, but we'll manage." Toujou-san answered. "Shall we head to the room?" she then asked, to which okaa-chan nodded in reply, leading the way.

* * *

"...and then, that Yazawa-san tried to punch me with her electric fist! But nope! I didn't let her! I kicked her first and she went flying! I think she would have flown farther, but Umi-chan told me not to kick her with my right leg. But that's okay!" Rin-chan was jumping up and down, rambling about the little confrontation we had with Ayase-san, Yazawa-san, and Nishikino-san. I could feel the glares from behind us from those three girls. Even if Rin-chan spoke in our native tongue, the pronunciation of names didn't change, so they could at least understand that their names were spilling out of Rin-chan's mouth.

"Rin, you could have killed Yazawa-san had I not stopped you." Umi-chan spoke from beside me. My wheelchair jerked forward a little; Rin-chan was probably a bit upset.

"But I wasn't Berserk and I wouldn't have gone Berserk! I already saw Ran-kun today, remember?" Rin-chan argued.

"Still, Rin. With you so caught with all the excitement of that little brawl, you might as well have shattered every bone in her tiny body." Umi-chan pointed out, gesturing back to Yazawa-san. She was right though. Yazawa-san was slightly shorter than Rin-chan, and from what I could see, had little to no meat on her body.

If anything, she almost reminded me of...

"But the men back at the lab!" Rin-chan's sudden shout knocked me out of those dark memories. "I didn't kill any of them! Or break...any...of them?" Rin-chan hesitated a bit. Indeed, Rin-chan had broken a few dozen men back then.

"Yes, you didn't kill any of them because father-"

"Umi-chan." I said a bit more sternly than I wanted to, but it needed to stop.

"I am...sorry. It just comes out." Umi-chan looked away, not meeting my eyes. I knew it wasn't her fault, but I couldn't help but blame her sometimes. He's altered our lives to the point where they'll just keep changing, even if we don't want them to, yet she still calls him that.

 _But it's not her fault…_

I know that, but...

* * *

"Umi-chan." Toujou-san called her name sternly, interrupting whatever was being said. Sonoda-san replied and looked upset afterwards, and I couldn't help but wonder why.

I've seen at least three sides of those girls by now: the cold, uninterested glares they send our way, the civil gestures they presented to okaa-chan, and the warm, comforting gazes they give and receive to one another.

Their changes in attitude confuse me to no end. I can understand not trusting us, but what did okaa-chan say to them that allowed her to have a nice, friendly conversation with them? And how do they act that way around one another when the rest of us are just behind them? Maybe it's just me, but if I didn't trust certain people, I wouldn't show my true self to them so openly.

There conversation continued, with Hoshizora-san's excitement level having gone down quite a bit as Sonoda-san and Toujou-san talked about something. Then, Toujou-san reached over and rested her hand atop Sonoda-san's, and it was in that moment that I had taken notice of Toujou-san's arms: the entirety of her hands as well as her arms, up til her elbows, were covered in bandages. Maybe it was the intensity of the situation, or it was because of how much fear I had felt before, but it surprised me that I had not taken notice of Toujou-san's hands.

Toujou-san covers her hands and arms, Hoshizora-san covers her eye, and what about Sonoda-san? Does she have anything that she hides?

* * *

"Are you nice and cozy, Rin-chan?" I asked her as I tucked her into the soft bed.

"Mm! Arigato, Nozomi-chan." she said, clutching Ran-kun against her chest, while rubbing her face happily against the clean fabric of the pillow she laid on. I sat there for a few minutes, petting her head while running my fingers through her thick, orange top.

It wasn't bristled and stiff anymore.

"Ne, Nozomi-chan..." she said suddenly. Her expression was solemn now, and she only ever looked that way when she thought about the past...or Umi-chan. I saw her eyes glance somewhere out the door, before they looked back at me. "What do you think will happen when Umi-chan runs out of that serum?"

My hand froze, stuck in between the threads of orange that was Rin-chan's hair. I felt my body start to sweat as a chill ran through me, making me shiver. My hands felt cold, and my limbs refused to move. The thump of my heart in my chest felt like it was pounding against my whole body. My head felt hot and I began feeling dizzy. Tears started to well in my eyes, further obscuring my already fading vision.

I felt so _useless_.

"Nozomi-chan." Rin-chan's voice cut through like a knife, retrieving me from my thoughts again. It was then that I noticed how tightly I was gripping her hair. I pulled my hand away, ready to apologize, but before it was out of her reach, she grabbed my hand and pulled it to her chest where Ran-kun was. She smiled at me brightly before asking, "Nozomi-chan, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Her smile was contagious and I couldn't stop my own smile from crawling up to my lips. I simply nodded my head, and she helped me into the bed, pulling the covers from under me and making sure I was comfortably lying on the bed before pulling the covers over me. She moved back under the blankets with Ran-kun in hand, and snuggled up against my arm. I pulled my right leg over my left so I could lay on my side to wrap my arms around her. I could feel her own legs tangle with mine as she molded herself into my embrace.

As Rin-chan's soft snores filled the air, my mind ran rampant, thinking again about Rin-chan's question. Soon, my tears began streaming down my face. I scooted up a bit the best I could so the liquid would wet the pillow rather than Rin-chan's hair. I, once again, succumbed to my despair as the silence began to overwhelm me.

Silence.

It was something that brought me more agony than physical pain, because this, I knew, wouldn't just go away. Physical pain, no matter how harsh and intense, is only temporary. But this...the memories of _that_ pain, will never fade as the everlasting darkness swallowed my mind whole, while rendering me into a useless, sobbing, shaking mess.

 _Banging. Thumping. Shouting. Shouting. Bang._

The sounds and images were still fresh.

 _Banging. Shouting. Screaming. Screaming. Bang._

The pain was still fresh.

 _Thumping. Banging. Banging. Screaming. Screaming. Screaming. Screaming._

And it all stopped.

I came back and began feeling everything again. The clean pillow, now wasted with my tears, the soft bed, the weight of the blankets, the small figure of Rin curled against my chest, and the familiar, firm grip on my hand. I breathlessly laughed a bit into the pillow, feeling the calloused thumb rub circles on the rugged skin of my hand. I moved to face the younger girl, now relaxed since her comforting amber orbs gazed back at me.

"Hey," I sniffled, "Umi-chan."

"Hey." she said softly, her low tone piercing through the darkness with its familiarity. The way her eyes showed against the black of our surroundings, and the calming tone of her voice always was a factor in keeping Rin-chan and I sane through it all.

I always wondered though...

"Umi-chan, how do you keep your mind so clear of the dark?" I asked in such a way that made me seem like a young child. "Rin-chan and I...we've always depended on you. All these years, you were our anchor. And you've suffered so much already, so-" I stopped as her hand moved to my face, gently wiping away already fallen tears, and fresh ones. She gathered both Rin-chan and I into her arms, and held us close as if we were her precious treasures.

"It is because I have the two of you."

Forget 'as if'.

"And because you are the only treasures I hold within my heart." I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face, my mind clear of the darkness and despair of many years past.

* * *

 **When I was in the middle of writing this, I thought to myself "When will I end this?" So this chapter is a bit long, and I do not think any other chapter will be this long.**

 **Well, this is another story idea that I've had for a while. Would anyone be interested? I don't know when I'll write another chapter of this though, since I still need to finish** _ **I Hope She Treats You Well**_ **. Feedback?**

 **Anyways, thank you for reading!**


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